Moo's Birthday Fanfic
by mantabay
Summary: In which there's a fateful meeting between the totally-not-a-Japanese-idol Aimoto Haru and the totally-not-Texan-girl Laila Smith. ...It might be better just to turn your brain off and go along for the ride. Welcome to Starlight Academy—that is, Starlightbucks and its many (idol) employees.


Sun rays shined through the glass panes outside a familiar coffeeshop—with Star in its name, and an iconic merman mascot on its logo. Despite the cloudless sky, Laila Smith pulled her fleece cap down tightly over her head, bundling into her pink sweater as the chilly autumn air nipped at her nose.

It wasn't as cold as last year's fall, but after she'd buzzed her hair the seasonal wind had nothing to soak up its bite. Hunching her shoulders to protect the skin on her neck, she folded her arms, shuffling into Starlightbucks with all the regret in the world that she hadn't worn a scarf.

Waiting at the counter and wearing a sunny yellow apron, a teenage boy with almond-shaped hazel eyes and straight brown hair waved his hand, gesturing to a name tag that gave the game away—

Sun rays shined through the glass panes outside a familiar coffeeshop—with Star in its name, and an iconic merman mascot on its logo. Despite the cloudless sky, Laila Smith pulled her fleece cap down tightly over her head, bundling into her pink sweater as the chilly autumn air nipped at her nose.

It wasn't as cold as last year's fall, but after she'd buzzed her hair the seasonal wind had nothing to soak up its bite. Hunching her shoulders to protect the skin on her neck, she folded her arms, shuffling into Starlightbucks with all the regret in the world that she hadn't worn a scarf.

Waiting at the counter and wearing a sunny yellow apron, a teenage boy with almond-shaped hazel eyes and straight brown hair waved his hand, gesturing to a name tag that gave the game away—

Haru's smile, seemingly still stapled to his round face, faltered a little—becoming goofy and lopsided. "Don't worry! I'm very sorry for having to double check with you like that! It'll be out soon; what name do you want on the cup?"

"Laila." Her incurable mumble made worse by her reluctance to look him in the eye, to say she felt silly would be an understatement. Talking to unfamiliar faces in general was an awkward, anxiety-ridden task, and knowing that very busy people relied on her speeding the fuck up made it all the worse. Shuffling to the side, she essentially used the cash register as a shield whilst she handed over a well-worn five dollar bill.

Stuffing her change and receipt directly into her pocket instead of fishing for her wallet, Laila made a beeline for the first empty table in sight. Conveniently, an empty table with a direct view through the clean, seasonally-decorated window at the sunny day.

'This is stupid.' She thought, staring absentmindedly back into the coffeeshop. Laila didn't have many free days in her busy schedule, and now she already felt like this one was off to a bad start. Her eyes landed again on the same bright-eyed-and-bushy-tailed Haru, who seemed like exactly the kind of person who had no business in a café. Overbearingly positive, chipper, and seemingly in no need of extra caffeine, heturnedtofaceLailaandwavedatheragain.

MmmmmmmMMMMM that was something. She felt an uncomfortable heat as her face flushed, rapidly trying to decide whether she should wave back or if it was too late and he thought she didn't notice him, or—oh.

He was holding a bottle of iced coffee, and if she squinted she could see what _looked like_ her name scribbled on the side in glittery silver sharpie. Abruptly stomping to her feet and trying to ignore how unintentionally loud that was, Laila was soon at the counter with both hands ready to receive her morning dose of happy.

"Let me know how it is after!" Haru chirped, brushing his fingers with hers as he handed it over. Barely registering his words, she nodded blithely, a sudden warmth despite the cold gift stirring a flutter of butterflies in her stomach.

Sipping her frappuccino through a coffee stirrer as if it was a straw like god intended, Laila savored the cool, sweet taste on her tongue as she thumbed through Amino's latest feed. She caught herself chewing on the end of the 'straw' and gently pulled it out of her mouth, figuring she was just about done anyway. It was a large drink, and she might as well just carry the bottle home with her to finish at her leisure.

The air losing its morning chill as she pushed out the coffeeshop's front door, Laila greeted the afternoon with an inward sigh of gratitude—holding something this cold would've been uncomfortable in the earlier weather. Releasing the door, a confused Laila turned her head to check what piqued her curiosity; it hadn't closed.

A masculine hand had reached from behind her, holding it open so he could follow. A hand belonging to someone on his lunch break. "Laina!" He _almost_ remembered her name! "It's lucky I caught you! You never told me how I did! ...I was a nervous, since I think I came on a little bit too strong."

Haru thought she didn't like him. She hadn't bothered to smile again, hadn't she? It's not her fault. Actually, it'd be downright criminal to expect someone to hold even a small smile on their face just waiting for coffee. Especially when she was anxious, and cold, and—"Laila. It's, uh, Laila."

"Sorry! I didn't mean to screw it up again, *Laila*."

"You didn't screw anything up, um... Haru." She cheated. She totally read his name tag. "I liked it. The coffee." It was getting even colder in her hands. Could she go now? Laila wasn't good with... this.

Any of this. She couldn't tell if it was the anxiety talking, but just standing here in the cold and talking to a stranger, not to mention semi-blocking the front door with him... Laila stared up at him, a little relieved that he wasn't _so_ much taller. She was still surprised when he spoke again after that brief pause—he had looked a little lost for words.

"So!" Haru folded his hands in front of his chest, taking a hesitant step forward. "I think! You should come more often! And tell me what you think of how I'm doing!"

Laila almost, _almost_ , asked 'Why?' on gut instinct. It would've been rude; she couldn't help it. She didn't know why he'd wandered after her to begin with, and he was a little too cute to be real and she felt uneasy in spite of herself.

"Just because... Um..! If I made you nervous, I think I'm doing a bad job!"

He's being a little counterproductive. "Uh. No biggie." Her face felt hot again, welcome against the cool autumn air. "I come here a lot. So you'll. Yeah."

Haru shook his head, chewing the inside of his lip, unsure of what to do. "Can you come see me on purpose, though?"

 _Oh._

Yesplease. Would that sound too..? How long did it take her to catch on? "Um!" How long had he been trying to—"Okay! Icandothat!"

She felt like he could tell she was blushing. Even if Laila's skin was just dark enough to (thankfully) hide her flushed face, her expression said it all. His did, too. Because he _was_ visibly blushing. She'd never expected to see his face become so pink!

"Alright!" He grinned, as if it didn't even bother him that his cheeks matched her hair. Haru backed slightly into the coffeeshop, allowing her to leave more easily. Raising his hand as if to wave, he sheepishly closed it and just let his fist awkwardly hover in the air for a moment. His pink cheeks deepening to a rosy red, he tucked the hand into his pocket. "I'll see you, then! I think!" He was still smiling. Laila hugged the cold bottle to her chest, trying to maintain eye contact as her free hand gave a little wave. "See you."

Pushing the 'straw' from the frappuccino back between her lips as an excuse to stop talking, she nodded again as if to acknowledge him before tentatively, and awkwardly, turning away to head home. Even though he'd said his goodbye first, she felt a little guilty. Like she should've... No, he was on his lunch break.

Laila was hungry too, so she understood. In fact, she was going straight back home to get something to eat for herself.

Stopping in her tracks, she glanced back through the decorated café window. There was a food menu, wasn't there?

She could stay just a little while longer.


End file.
